Fulton inmate attacks detention officer, sheriff’s office says
A Fulton County Jail inmate attacked and injured a detention officer Tuesday morning, the sheriff’s office said.
The officer, whose name was not released, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, according to a sheriff’s office spokesperson. Sheriff Pat Labat was among those at the hospital after the incident, checking on the jailer’s condition.
“The inmate responsible for the attack has been identified, and charges are forthcoming as part of the active investigation,” the sheriff’s office said.
The unnamed inmate used a shank, or makeshift weapon, to injure the jailer.
The attack is the latest in a string of incidents at the Rice Street jail facility, which is under a consent decree following a scathing Justice Department investigation that detailed “abhorrent” and unconstitutional conditions there.
Last week, the family of a 20-year-old Atlanta woman who is hospitalized after being attacked by another inmate said she is on life support. Her family contends that security lapses led to the assault.
Other cases of inmate assaults have prompted lawsuits against the county and Labat. A new mental health and medical facility has been proposed for the jail.
“This incident underscores the unsafe and deteriorating conditions within the Fulton County Jail that continue to pose risks to both our team and those in our custody,” the sheriff’s office said Tuesday. “Inmates are able to fashion makeshift weapons from the very materials of the aging facility, creating ongoing safety risks.”
The sheriff’s office said it is committed to advocating for more secure facilities to keep both staff and inmates safe.
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